Customer Spotlight: SUSAN CASEY

January 6th, 2011

Did you know that the force of an oceanic wave created what is now known as the British Isles 8,500 years ago? Or did you know that there is an international tribe of tow surfers who search out 100-foot ocean swells around the world – far from the viewing public – for the purity of the experience? How about the connection between the recent rise of rogue waves, global warming, and ship disappearances? Want to sense what its like to surf scary 40-foot waves? Read this book. What does this have to do with bikes? Nothing. But we like to feature our customers whenever we can.

Casey has authored numerous books covering a diverse array of subjects. In recent years, her writing has moved toward adventure and outdoor pursuits, including a best selling book on great white sharks, The Devil’s Teeth, and now The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean. Both books explore deep-sea mysteries, phenomenon, science, and powerful physical and metaphysical forces. (Our friendly bike ride in Manhattan was not one of her most dramatic experiences). Get the book if you want a terrific and provocative read. I have always doubted that Jon Stewart actually reads the books from the authors he promotes, but I zipped through this one. Casey uses words well, and her first hand encounters give the book a refreshing authenticity.

Autographed Copies of The Wave available
Susan has agreed to sign a limited number of books for our customers. She’ll also have her colleague and pal Laird Hamilton – the greatest big wave surfer of this generation – autograph the books. If you are interested, just comment on this blog post and we will reserve a hardback copy for $30. If you don’t like to read at least watch this video of Laird Hamilton at Teahupoo in Tahiti. Hamilton pretty much redefined what surfers are capable of with this ride.

Looking for Other Customer Stories
Nothing interests us more than our customers. You don’t have to be on The Daily Show to be featured in our newsletter. Just give us a heads-up if you have an interesting story, product, or video to feature on yourself. Send a note to here.

$5 Grab Bag
Here is our January deal. If you place an order greater than $50, you can add any of these items – hats, gloves, bags, and other goodies – for only $5 to your order.

LOCAL EVENTS: Going Dutch on January 13 and January 27 in SF
If you live in San Francisco, we encourage you to catch our friend Leah Shahum at SPUR for a luncheon event on January 13 or a Treehouse Talk at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition office on January 27. She’ll share her observations from her sabbatical in Amsterdam and give insight into what cities can learn from “going Dutch” in terms of bicycle-friendly infrastructure and policies.